Instead of working on "Revenge" I'm starting a new story!^^; This one in yonkakanaru, a rare pairing, but awesome nonetheless. There should be more of them. I had to change the name of the fic because apparently it was too long for this site ... but it doesn't really matter, right? I WAS going to be called, "The Sly Fox, The Melancholy Scarecrow, and the Golden Sun God," but this place is a bitch and won't let me call it that! Anyway, I'm not really sure where this fic is headed, but I'm really excited about it, cuz I had a really neat idea and I hope you guys like it!^^ Oh, and in case anyone was wondering, YES, there will be smut in the future...XD

The Sly Fox, the Melancholy Scarecrow, and the Golden Sun God
Chapter One: "Bad Timing"

~Kakashi~

Three months. It had been three months since Naruto's disappearance. Kakashi wasn't worried about the boy though. Somehow he just knew he was still alive, trying to get back home. The boy was nigh indestructible. But Minato wasn't so sure. If it was anyone else, he probably wouldn't have been worried either. But this was Naruto. His son; his lover.

Kakashi's chest felt tight as he watched his sensei try to concentrate on his work and not on the absence of his most precious person. His heart didn't ache just because Minato's did too, but also because Kakashi longed for Minato to care about him like that. He knew the man loved him. He even knew he would worry if he was ever this late returning. But if Kakashi disappeared, Minato would share his grief with Naruto; they could worry together. Even if he died, Minato would still have Naruto. He would still have someone's shoulder to cry on. But he would survive if something happened to him because he'd still have Naruto. If Naruto died...even though Kakashi would be there...Minato would never love him like that.

The Yondaime tried to pretend like everything was fine; like he wasn't painfully aware of the fact that his son was missing, like he wasn't slowly dying inside, like everything was just rainbows and butterflies.

Kakashi knew better though. He could see the tightness around the blonde's eyes, the sadness lurking just behind the cheerful mask. He saw how tense his movements were; how he always seemed lost in thought with a deep frown on his striking features. He longed to gather the hurting man into his arms and whisper away all his woes; to kiss away his pain. The man would never allow it though. He was too faithful to his son.

It's not that Kakashi wasn't happy for his former student. He just wished it could have been him that Minato looked at like he was the whole world. He wished he could have been the one to slide into bed every night with the man he'd loved since even before his father killed himself. He wished he could have been the one to make the blonde light up at the very sight of him.

What if he'd have said something sooner? What if he'd been honest with his old sensei about how he truly felt about him? Could they have been together? Kakashi often wondered what would have happened between them if Kakashi hadn't been so distant. He hadn't wanted to be distant. He was just so afraid of what would happen if he got close. He didn't want to be abandoned again.

What ifs didn't matter now anymore though. He hadn't made his feelings known, and Minato had chosen Naruto. The man was happy, and Kakashi would have to be contented with that. There was nothing he could do anymore. He was taken, and Kakashi wasn't the type to steal other peoples' lovers, even if he felt it was possible.

A quiet sigh from the blonde brought Kakashi out of his reverie. He glanced over at the man from his perch in the chair in a corner of the Hokage's office. As he watched, Minato rubbed his face in his hands, groaning slightly.

"He'll come back, sensei," Kakashi said as the man leaned back in his chair, his eyes closed, rubbing a knot in his neck.

Minato froze for a moment before slouching in his chair and looking at Kakashi with haunted eyes. Nothing Kakashi said was going to ease Minato's anxiety any. The only way to do that would be to present the man with the orange enigma that was the Hokage's son. Kakashi would have gone to look for the blonde himself, but Minato refused to let him go. Kakashi didn't understand why though. He was the most likely to find him. When he'd asked the man about it, he didn't really get an answer.

Kakashi rose from his uncomfortable wooden chair and crossed the room to stand behind Minato. He gripped the blonde's shoulders firmly, his fingers and thumbs expertly working the knots and kinks out of the stressed man's muscles. "He'll come back," he said again.

Minato's head lolled forward as he let his ex-student massage him. No one was better with their hands than Kakashi. "How do you know?" he whispered.

"A hunch."

The Yondaime sighed again. "I know you're trying to comfort me, Kakashi, but your hunches just aren't doing it for me. I appreciate the effort though."

"I'm insulted, sensei," Kakashi said, feigning offense, trying to lighten the mood, "A shinobi should trust his instincts."

Minato grunted in response. "Still doesn't take away from the fact it's still just a hunch, not solid proof."

"Have my hunches ever been wrong, sensei?" Kakashi caught the flicker of a smirk crossing the man's face. It warmed Kakashi just a bit.

"Not that I can remember, Kashi."

The nickname warmed Kakashi further. He imagined the older man breathing it along his neck, smirking like he was, as their naked, sweaty skin rubbed together deliciously under tangled sheets and forgotten clothes...

Kakashi had to shake his head to rid himself of the fantasy before his sensei noticed. Even Kakashi wouldn't have been able to explain that away. What excuse is there for getting a hard-on while talking about a boy whose been missing for three months and is more than likely dead? Answer: there isn't one.

"Mmmm..." Minato moaned, settling back into his chair to enjoy the feel of Kakashi's hands. "Kashi? What is it about you that relaxes me so much? No matter what's going on, you can always make me sit back and take a deep breath. I don't know what I'd do without you."

Kakashi was quiet for a spell, not sure what to say to that. Kami-sama knew there were millions of things he would have LIKED to say, but none of them could be said under the circumstances. He finally decided on, "I don't know what I'd do without you either, sensei." Maybe it was a little revealing, but it was true, and he was really just sharing the same sentiment Minato had already expressed.

Minato leaned his head back, pushing against Kakashi's stomach, and looked up at him. He smiled warmly. At him. Kakashi swore his heart stopped beating. He struggled not to caress his jaw line or bend down and kiss those lips that made him think of ripe fruit.

Minato helped him through the moment by reaching up and ruffling his hair playfully like he always used to when he was younger. Kakashi reacted on instinct, just as he always had as a genin. He ducked away and sent a scowl Minato's way. The scowl was soon replaced by a pleased smile, though, when the blonde chuckled softly at his age-old antics.

The moment passed and Minato was back to slumping in his chair, dwelling on the lack of Naruto.

Kakashi glanced out the window and watched the sun setting for a moment. The crimson rays of the waning sun made Minato's tanned skin radiate with a warm glow while his golden hair glinted as the light glittered through it. He couldn't tear his eyes away from the man's face. He was sure he was looking at the face of an angel. He'd never seen Minato look more beautiful.

Kakashi didn't hear him the first time Minato said his name. He'd been caught staring. "Huh?" he said, confused.

Minato grinned, "What are you staring at, Kashi?"

A blush burned on Kakashi's cheeks. Good thing Minato couldn't see it. "It's late, sensei. You should probably get home. You need the rest."

"You're right..." Minato said, letting Kakashi change the subject. He stood with that languid grace that only the best shinobi had. He stretched, bending his spine backwards to work out the kinks from sitting for so long. Kakashi tried not to stare at the way Minato's muscles flowed fluidly beneath his clothing. "Walk with me?" Minato asked.

Kakashi just nodded and followed his blonde out the door and through the emptying building to the streets outside. After being caught gazing at Minato with a look that he was sure was filled with wonder or...SOMETHING Minato shouldn't have seen, Kakashi couldn't seem to look at the man at all anymore. He couldn't even speak to him. It wasn't a problem though, because Minato wasn't looking at him either. He was studying the full moon that could already be seen in the color-splashed sky.

Kakashi was finally relaxing into the peaceful silence between them when Minato's hand unexpectedly sought his out and grasped it in its calloused warmth, squeezing briefly. Kakashi glanced at the owner of the hand. He was still gazing up at the sky in thought. He looked back at their hands. Considering it for a moment, he responded with an answering squeeze.

A smiled spread across the Yondaime's face as he closed his eyes in contentment.

They walked together like that, hand-in-hand, for a few minutes, just enjoying each other's presence as the night cooled down and the moon lit up the darkness.

Kakashi could feel Minato's eyes on him, but he didn't dare look at him. He didn't trust himself.

"Did you know your hair glows in the moonlight?"

The silver-haired man glanced at him out of the corner of his eye then. "Does it?"

"Mm-hmm...I bet your skin glows too." Minato reached over with his unoccupied hand and pulled his mask down, unhindered. "Yup. It glows."

Kakashi couldn't help the small laugh that escaped him.

"What's funny?" Minato asked curiously.

"I glow in the moonlight, and you glow in the sunlight." Kakashi was a little anxious to admit he'd been staring at him back at the office, but there really wasn't any point since Minato had clearly noticed. "I don't really know why that's funny. I just thought it was."

"It is a little funny," Minato said, chuckling. "I guess I'm Apollo, the sun god, and you're..." Minato snickered, "Diane, the moon goddess."

Kakashi punched him in the arm, making the man laugh louder.

"Alright, alright, so you don't like Roman mythology. How about Greek? I'd be Helios, and you'd be...Selene."

Kakashi glared darkly at the still grinning blonde. He wasn't really angry though. The man's smile lifted his spirits; made him feel lighter. He'd made him smile like that. When he was down, he'd cheered him up, made him laugh. Not even being compared to a woman in such a way could dampen the satisfaction of his success.

Minato laughed again and pulled him by his hand to bump their shoulders together. Kakashi couldn't help but smile at the man's glee. It was contagious. The Hokage sobered after a while, but a ghost of a smile still curled his lips up at the very edges.

Their destination, the Namikaze mansion, was in view. They were less than a block away when Minato asked, "Kashi? Do you really think he's still alive?"

"I do, sensei. I wouldn't lie to you."

"Oh, really?" Minato said, giving him a sly sideways look.

"Really," he said, defensive.

"Well then...if I were to, say, shove you up against the door and kiss you, what would you do?"

Kakashi was shocked into silence for a few heartbeats. He stared at the blonde sun god, smiling at him oh-so-innocently, in disbelief. Was Minato flirting with him? What should he say? He knew exactly what he'd do if Minato kissed him, but did he really want Minato to know too? And what would the man do with that knowledge?

"Well, I just told him I wouldn't lie to him, so I can't exactly go back on that now," Kakashi thought to himself, his stomach turning in dread. Butterflies in his stomach, he finally answered as they climbed the steps to the front porch of Minato's home.

"I'd kiss you back, sensei."

Minato stopped and turned to him. Kakashi stopped breathing as Minato stepped closer. His heart skipped a beat when the man lifted a hand up to cup the side of his face. The look in his eye was so intense. He couldn't place whatever emotion he saw burning there. He wanted to look away, but he couldn't. The look seemed to push and pull at him all at the same time.

The heat of Minato's forehead pressing into his set Kakashi's body on fire. He wanted to feel more of that burning hot skin against his own. He wanted to feel like he was melting.

He didn't dare touch him though. He stayed perfectly still, waiting for Minato to do something. His lips were so close, but what if Minato just wanted him to hold him, comfort him? Kakashi wouldn't be able to stand it if Minato found out how he felt and was weirded out. The man would avoid him, and Kakashi would finally lose his mind. He couldn't lose Minato. Not his most precious person.

Minato's hand slid back across his cheek to grip the back of his neck. He pushed Kakashi against the door to his home and pressed their bodies flushed together, successfully making Kakashi heart start racing. His other hand rested gently on his hip, dangerously low. His fingers wiggled slightly, as if they itched to be somewhere else on Kakashi's body.

Kakashi gasped at the contact. The man was so unbelievably warm, his heat seeping into Kakashi's skin all the way to his bone. The jounin vaguely wondered if he was sweating.

The blonde pulled Kakashi's bare face closer to his with the hand on his neck and lightly brushed his lips over his, questioning.

Kakashi didn't hesitate anymore. He leaned forward those last few hairs-breadths and pressed his lips to Minato's, whimpering at the sensation. He sucked the bottom lip into his mouth and nibbled it between his teeth. He wasn't sure what had gotten into Minato all of a sudden, but he wasn't about to stop it. Maybe Minato just wanted him to help him forget, maybe this would just be a one time thing, but Kakashi didn't mind. Minato could use him whenever he pleased.

Minato opened his wider and sealed their mouths together, his tongue darting inside the warm cavern of Kakashi's mouth to explore and tussle with the creature living there. He ate from Kakashi's mouth like it was a water fountain and he'd been wandering the desert without anything to drink for days. The hand on the younger man's cheek moved down to pull his shirt out of his pants and slide over the taut skin beneath, tweaking the hard nipples and trace the toned muscles. The second hand slipped lower, inside Kakashi's pants, to grope at his ass, massaging firmly.

Kakashi moaned deeply into Minato's mouth. His hands had come up to tangle themselves in his hair so he couldn't escape. He held his head steady as his tongue fought fiercely to dominate Minato's mouth, to bury himself as deeply in the man as he possibly could. Nothing was sweeter than Minato's lips. Nothing.

Minato ground his hips against Kakashi, eliciting a whimper from him, which he promptly devoured along with the following moans. The feel of their erections rubbing against each other, even through their pants, excited them both greatly. Kakashi's hands strayed from the blonde's hair to rip his shirt up and ravish the almost too perfect skin, while Minato scrambled to get his house key in the lock so they could go inside and find a more comfortable place to continue this, whatever it was.

Kakashi thrust against Minato desperately, wrapping his legs around his waist. He was going to cum soon, even before either of them had even removed a single article of clothing. He'd wanted this for so long, thought about it for so long, fantasized about it...it was driving him wild now that it was actually happening. His senses all seemed over receptive. He was drowning in Minato's bittersweet scent of honey and sage. Minato's pants and groans sounded like they were in stereo. His skin tingled everywhere Minato touched him like the man was electrically charged.

Kakashi was getting lost in all the new sensations. He hadn't even remembered that they were still outside where the world could see them if they so wished to. No one was around, but Kakashi wouldn't have cared anyway. All he wanted was more of Minato. As much of him as he could get.

The key finally found its way into the lock and the two stumbled through the door as it swung open. Minato tripped on the doorjamb and started to fall. He tried to catch himself on the door, but Kakashi's added weight was too much for him, and they both crashed to the floor.

Kakashi wouldn't have minded if he hadn't have landed on top of someone else's legs.

The unknown person groaned when they fell on him. The two still entangled men looked up at the body that was apparently still alive. They pulled their legs up to their chest and curled into a fetal position before going still again, their breathing evening out as they slept.

Minato got up on his hands and knees and crawled to the side of the person. "Naruto!" he cried when he identified the formerly unknown body. He gathered the boy into his lap and gave him a suffocating hug, tears of relief pouring out of his eyes. "Naruto, my boy!"

The younger blonde stirred once again, his eyes cracking open with obvious effort. He looked up at his father and gave him a small smile. "Otou-san," he whispered, "I'm home."

Minato laughed through his tears and wiped some dirt off the boy's whiskered cheek. He leaned down and kissed him passionately, like he'd kissed Kakashi earlier. "Are you hurt?" he asked when he pulled back.

"Just tired."

"Sleep then. I'll take care of you," he said, petting Naruto's hair. He started to peel Naruto's blood-soaked clothes off once he'd closed his eyes and fallen unconscious again. When he was naked except for his underwear, he picked the boy up and carried him away to the bathroom, presumably to clean all the dried blood and mud off his son.

He never once looked back at Kakashi.

The jounin just lay on the ground for quite some time, shocked into paralysis at the turn of events. He wasn't sure what to think of Naruto's return. He knew what he SHOULD feel, but he was finding it difficult to feel happy or relieved in that situation. If Naruto hadn't have been there, he'd have finally gotten to be with Minato; he would have tasted that forbidden fruit.

He didn't know what to think of Minato completely forgetting his existence once he realized it Naruto either. In the back of his head, he'd known that he would be cast aside when Naruto returned, but he didn't think Minato would be so...callous, almost. It made him feel like he was nothing to Minato but a pet he kept around for when he got lonely. Like an animal that he took care of and showed affection for, but was utterly replaceable.

Kakashi slowly got to his feet and stood in the foyer for a moment, contemplating what he should do. Should he go in there and say something to Minato? Or should he just leave? He glanced at the bathroom door, the only source of light in the whole house. He couldn't do it. He couldn't go in there. What would he say anyway?

Left without any better option, he turned and exited the darkness of the home, doing his best to ignore the aching erection in his pants. Hopefully it'd be gone by the time he reached his lonely apartment. He'd rather not have to take a cold shower.

The streets were barren as he shuffled down them, trying work out his emotions. He WAS glad Naruto was alright, but...he couldn't help wish the boy had come back just a day later, even just a few hours would have been nice. And what was he going to do about Minato? Should he just pretend like nothing had happened? He sure as hell didn't want to do that. But wouldn't things be uncomfortable between them if he didn't? More than likely. Kakashi refused to believe that he'd lost Minato. They could fix things. They WOULD fix things. Kakashi needed them to...

An arm draped itself around his shoulders. "You look down, Hatake," a deep baritone stated. Kakashi hadn't heard the man coming, or sensed his presence at all. But then again, he'd never been able to detect the sannin. "Girl troubles?" Jiraiya asked.

"Something like that," Kakashi mumbled.

"Anything I can do to help?"

Kakashi just shook his head.

Jiraiya nodded sagely. Kakashi felt like laughing at that though. The sage nodding sagely. He wasn't sure why he found that funny. It was either because it was late and he was tired and slap-happy, or because he was on the verge of having a breakdown. It wasn't really all that late, and he wasn't very tired either, but Kakashi refused to break down in front of his favorite author. He would NOT make a fool of himself.

"What are you doing here, Jiraiya?" Kakashi asked so he would stop thinking about how he was probably going to dissolve into tears when he was alone. "I thought you'd be out doing research at this time of night."

Jiraiya shrugged. "Ran out of cash."

Kakashi chuckled and poked the older man in the ribs. "You're not getting any from me, old man."

The old toad sage laughed, dodging away from the offending finger. "I wasn't going to ask for any!"

"Then why are you here?"

"Can't a guy wanna hang out with his buddy?" Jiraiya asked, feigning innocence. Not his strong suit.

Kakashi just gave him a deadpanned look.

"Alright, so I do have an agenda..." The sannin went back to walking beside him with an arm around him. Kakashi didn't mind. He was warm, and Kakashi was starting to shiver. Odd. It wasn't cold outside...

"And what would that agenda be?"

"Well...there was something I wanted to talk to you about, but it can wait."

"It's okay. We can talk now."

Jiraiya took a deep breath and seemed to consider it before shaking his head. "No, you're clearly upset about something. We'll talk tomorrow, over lunch."

"I have to train with Sakura and Naruto tomorrow afternoon," Kakashi said. He would be busy during lunch.

"Sakura's working at the hospital tomorrow, and..." Jiraiya looked down at him, "Naruto?"

"He's back. We just found him in the foyer."

"We?"

"Minato and I."

Jiraiya's brow rose in surprise. "You and Minato, huh? Guess I should have seen that one coming," he said, turning his gaze up to the stars, grinning.

"Seen what?"

Jiraiya shot him a look. "Don't give me that, Hatake. I'm not Naruto; I have a sense of perception. Something happened between you two, didn't it? And it didn't go well, did it? That's why you're so down."

Kakashi sighed in defeat. "You're right."

"Tell me."

Kakashi summarized what happened as briefly as he could, afraid too go into the details.

Jiraiya didn't comment right away. He just considered everything Kakashi had told him, what little he did tell him.

"I don't think you should worry just yet. Taking advantage of someone, especially someone he cares about, doesn't sound like something Minato would do. Wait and see what happens. It might not be as bad as you think," Jiraiya said as they stopped in front of Kakashi's apartment. "And I doubt Minato will let the boy train the day after he returned, injured, from a three month long disappearance."

"Thanks for the advice," he said, forcing a smile. There wasn't really anything else for him to say. Jiraiya had never steered him wrong before, not in a serious situation at least. He'd try to take his advice, but it wouldn't be easy.

Jiraiya put a comforting hand on his shoulder and gave him a reassuring smile before turning and leaving with a, "I'll stop by at lunch tomorrow. Have food," tossed over his shoulder.

Kakashi opened his door and slipped inside his den to lick his wounds and rest.

Yeah, so I'm experimenting with POVs. I usually do 3rd person omniscient, but this time I'm gonna do 3rd person limited. Tell me what you thinks!:D Because reviews are love!3